Thankful for Dads

As Father’s Day approaches, I’m aware of how much weight is on the shoulders of the dads we work with around the world. We see a lot of fathers at wheelchair distributions. Sometimes they are carrying their children or wives or parents to receive a wheelchair, and their joy at seeing their family members gain …

From Calamity to Commerce

Thirteen years ago a flash flood came through Gilgit-Balitstan, Pakistan. The waters destroyed Nizam-Ud-Din’s home. His father was killed, and he and his two siblings were left with permanent disabilities. Though he was still a teenager, Nizam-Ud-Din became the sole breadwinner for his family. For years they struggled as he tried to earn money and …

New Hope

It’s hard to believe it’s already June! As students finish out the school year, we are reminded not everyone around the world has an equal opportunity to receive an education. One of our distribution partners, American Nicaraguan Foundation (ANF), shared Gonzalo’s story with us. Gonzalo wasn’t able to attend school and started working as a …

Dreams Coming True

Trinh is a go-getter. Though born with spina bifida and never able to walk, Trinh was always on the move. His crawling ultimately caused an ulcer on his left leg, and doctors had to amputate part of his leg in 2012. Shortly after his surgery our partner in Vietnam, Giving It Back to Kids (GIBTK), …

From Exhaustion to Elation

Our partner in Burundi, Food for the Hungry (FH), sent us Abraham’s story. FH staff members regularly passed by Abraham sitting by the side of the road. That was his office where he fixed old shoes for people. On the ground next to Abraham was a rudimentary wooden “bicycle” complete with hand-carved wooden wheels. Abraham …

New Plans

Life sometimes has a way of turning out differently than we plan. Fred didn't even consider his parents dying as soon as they did or that he would be involved in a motorcycle accident that would change his life. After his parents died, Fred looked for a job to save money to put himself through …

Overcoming Obstacles Together

Don Amilcar was born with spina bifida that paralyzed his legs. His family was so committed to keeping his life as normal as possible that his father carried him to school every day, and his dedication helped Amilcar graduate from high school. While getting an education was hard, finding a job was even harder. Immobility …

Friday Story: Employment x2

Greetings and Happy Friday! Most of us take having a job for granted. Many people with disabilities in the developing world never get the opportunity to work and earn a living due to their limited mobility. This week, I would like to tell you the story of a young man in Uganda who struggled all …